Running-gear for vehicles



(No Model.)

-G. GIRARD EY.

RUNNING GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

No. 363,325. Patented May 17, 1887.

N. PETERS, Pmwupm n her. Washington. 0.1:.

ra'rns GEORGE GIRARDEY, OF BETHEL, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO VVILBUR S.

STRIOKLAND, OF LEBANON, OHIO.

RUNNING-"GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,325, dated May 17, 1887.

I Application tiled February 19, 1887. Serial No. 228,232.

To all whom it may concern.-

: in the county of Glermont and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in running-gear for vehicles; and it consists of the peculiar construction of parts, that willbe hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention is especially designed as an improvement upon the device shown in the patent granted to William S. Strickland on November 23, 1886, and bearing No. 353,236; and it has, primarily, for its object toimprove the device therein shown in minor details, and thereby simplify the construction, while increasing the durability of the device, and eheapen the cost of manufacturing the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a running-gear for vehicles having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail view thereof on the line X X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detached perspective inverted view of the 'castin g.

. ters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the reach or coupling-pole intermediate of the front and rear axle of a running-gear, and B the front hounds, which are connected at their rearends by atiebar, I), all of which are of the ordinary or any preferred construction, my invention being applicable to any class of vehicle having the above-described parts.

In the Strickland patent, hereinbefore referred to, a casting is bolted to the reach, and has integral bearings, in which is journaled a friction-roller having heads at its ends to prevent endwise movement of the roller. In this device it is necessary to drill or bore an opening in one of the bearings of the castings, which (No model.)

requires time and labor, and the heads of the roller are arranged to bear against the outer sides of the boxes on the casting, and are liable to bind thereon, and thereby create considerable friction and wear of the parts.

In my improved device I provide a casting having the boxes withjournal-0penings,whieh extend entirely therethrongh on the same plane and in line with each other, and in these aligned openings a headless roller is fitted, the roller being of a length equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the outer faces of the boxes, so that the ends project beyond the boxes. The casting is secured to the reach by bolts, which pass through suitable openings in the casting. and the heads of the bolts are arranged in the path of the roller, so as to limit the play of the same and prevent detachment thereof, the bolts thus serving two purposes.

O is the body of the casting, the upper side of which is provided with longitudinal parallel ribs or flanges c, which thereby strengthens the plate without materially adding to the weight thereof or increasing the quantity of material.

Bosses D arise vertically from the upper side of the casting, near the ends thereof, and they are arranged transversely of the body, joining to the ends of the ribs, as shown. Through these bosses are formed openings cl, which are arranged in line with each other and arranged, in the same plane, and a supplemental rib, E, has its upper side terminating in the plane of the lower periphery or curve of the openings, so that the surface of the roller will rest thereon. This rib is arranged between and formed integral with the longitudinal ribs of the casting, and at the intermediate point of the length of the casting between the bosses thereof, so that an intermediate supplemental bearing is provided for the roller F, thereby relieving it of part of the weight exerted on its middle by the tie-bar of the hounds B.

The casting is formed with vertical openings 9 outside of the vertical bearing-bosses, and through these openings are passed vertical bolts G, which serveto rigidly or immovably hold the casting on the reach. The heads of the bolts extend or project above the upper side of the casting in close proximity to the bearing-bosses, so that they lie in the path of ICO the roller, the ends of which are adapted to come in contact with the heads, and thereby limit the play or endwise movement of the collar, while permitting it to rotate or turn freely in the openings in the bosses. The ends of the roller are free of heads or caps, and extend to or beyond the outer faces of the bosses, so that the roller is free to rotate and notliable to bind, which in the Strickland patent is due to the fact that the heads thereof ride or impinge against the bosses. The casting is affixed to the reach at a point thereon to prevent the tiebar of the front hounds to bear or ride thereon when the front hounds are moved.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

I It will be seen that I provide an improved casting of simpler and cheaper construction, which possesses the necessary strength and durability, and that the roller is free to rotate without danger of binding, and thereby creating undue friction and wear.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by 7 Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a reach and hounds, of a casting having the bosses, through which are formed the aligned openings, the headless rollerjournaled in the bosses, and the bolts passing through the casting at points beyond the bosses, and having the heads thereof arranged in the path of the roller, as and forthe purpose described. I

2. The combination, with the reach and the connected front hounds, of a casting provided with the longitudinal ribs and the vertical bosses atthe ends of the ribs and having the aligned openings, the headless roller journaled in the bossesand having its ends extended to the outer faces of the bosses, and the headed bolts passing through the castin gs at points beyond the bosses, and having their heads arranged in the path of the roller, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE GIRARDEY.

Witnesses:

R. M. GRIFFITH, A. I. MCCALL: 

